Philatelic Collections: Introduction

The British Library Philatelic Collections are the National Philatelic Collections of the United Kingdom. The Collections were established in 1891 with the bequest of the Tapling Collection, and now about 50 important collections or Archives are held, all of which have been acquired by donation, bequest, or transfer from Government departments.

Mauritius: An example of the famous 1847 'Post Office' 1d. orange used on Ball invitation envelope. The Tapling collection

Such a diverse range of material, together with photographs, general reference material, maps, newspapers and official publications elsewhere in the Library, make the British Library one of the world's most important centres for philatelic research.

Jamaica: 1956-58 £1 chocolate and violet, prepared for use but unissued. The Crown Agents Collection

Please note: Because of the range and scope of the Philatelic Collections and the way that they are organised, they are not catalogued with conventional shelf-marks. Therefore one of the functions of this website is to act as an introduction and guide to the collections.